| CMU Daily - on the inside 6 Sep 2002 |
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Which two artists kept Oasis off the number one spot in 1996, and how come ‘Wonderwall’ got stuck at number two twice?
Answer on Monday
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EVANS WILL TELL ALL IN AUTUMN BOOK
Chris Evan’s has managed to get himself back in the papers on a regular basis as he embarks on his return to UK telly. Now he has announced he will tell all about this turbulent media career after signing a seven-figure deal to write his autobiography. He says his book, Little Bigshot, will be "full and frank account" of his life. "I am really enjoying working on the book,” he told reporters. "I have been writing most of my life, but it's good to have the chance to write at greater length and to make sense of what's been happening around me." Evans will return to the media as a producer of Channel 5's new entertainment show Live With Chris Moyles, and has a number of other projects on the go. Word is Evan’s wife Billie Piper will follow him back into the limelight with a new album planned.
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FULLER ADDS TWO NEW IDOLS TO ROSTER
No surprise that Simon Fuller has added Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini – the two finalists in the American Idol TV show - to the roster of his 19 management firm. Some now value Fuller to be worth £50 million after the global success of the Pop Idol format. The show has now also been sold to Beirut-based channel, Future TV, who will begin a search for pop talent throughout the Middle East. Speaking about the success of American Idol Fuller told reporters: "American Idol has been a massive event that has captured the whole of America. It's incredibly satisfying to have that kind of impact with a British show in a country that is the home of television."
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LATIN GRAMMY LINE-UP ANNOUCED
Organisers of the Annual Latin Grammy Awards have confirmed Shakira, Nelly Furtado and Mexican singer and actress Thalia will perform at the awards ceremony later this month. Justin Timberlake, Hector Elizondo, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Esai Morales, Cheech Marin, Laura Pausini, Jon Secada, Daisy Fuentes and Nick Carter will all present awards, while Gloria Estefan and Jimmy Smits will host. The show takes place on 18 Sep, with an album of nominee’s work released on 10 Sep.
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STEWART ON THE NEW MARQUEE
Dave Stewart has been talking about the new Marquee club which he is backing. The club reopened last night in its new Islington home, six years after its most recent home in Charring Cross Road closed.
He told digital station BBC6 Music of his memories of the Marquee of old: “You went down this kind of corridor, turned left and there was a stage - it was just about live music, that was it. It was all about the excitement of who was playing there. There was just a little sign above the door saying 'Marquee', and we've got a little sign above the door as well now." Talking about the new venue he said: "It's not flash, it's just for music, really. I hope it's one of those places where bands will form and friendships will be made."
The Marquee is best known as the place major names in music first gigged, or tried out new material, with Bowie and Rolling Stones among the venue's Hall of Fame. Primal Scream opened the new venue last night, Jimmy Cliff, UK Subs and Joe Jackson lined up to play future nights at the Marquee. Stewart has said he will be asking the Rolling Stones to come back and play the new venue "with Bill Wyman back on bass".
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NEW DANCE CHART FOR US RADIO SYNDICATION
Excelsior Radio Networks and Entertainment Management Group Worldwide are launching a new dance chart show they hope to syndicate on stations around the US, with the catchy name Billboard's Hot Dance Countdown. Hosted by Washington DC radio personality Jenni Chase, the show will exist as a Top 20 two hour show and Top 40 four hour show (forty tracks in four hours – long dance remixes or lots of ads?). "We are very excited to be in business with Billboard and EMGW on this brand-new countdown show for the Hot Dance format," Excelsior’s General Manager Larry Kahn told reporters. "Billboard's Hot Dance Countdown fills a void in this extremely popular and rapidly growing format. We are excited to be bringing it to the marketplace of radio stations and advertisers." The show will launch later this month.
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SIR MARTIN PROMOTES THE CLASSICAL STUFF
Former Beatles producer Sir George Martin is set to release a series of classical compilations in a mission to turn young people onto the genre. The six enhanced CDs, will feature music from Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Ravel, Debussy and Tchaikovsky accompanied by a video commentary from Sir George. In his Beatles days, he encouraged Sir Paul and John Lennon to think like classical composers, and brought in a string quartet for Yesterday, and added trumpet, flute and oboe players on Penny Lane. "John would shrug his shoulders and say, 'I'm a rock and roller, I can't do that.' Paul, on the other hand, was willing to have a go," he told the BBC. While an admirable mission Sir Martin is not known as the most motivating person in the world, so it remains to be seen if his Beatles stories enthuse the young people he’s pitching him self at.
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Answer to Thursday’s pop quiz:
What did Santana do in 1999 that Whitney Houston did in 1993, Eric Clapton in 1992 and Natalie Cole in 1991?
They all won both best single and best album at the Grammies. (Santana for ‘Smooth’ and ‘Supernatural’, Whitney for ‘I Will Always love You’ and ‘The Bodyguard’, Eric Clapton for ‘Tears in Heaven’ and ‘Unplugged’, and Natalie Cole for ‘Unforgettable’ (the album and the song).